TRV
Translation
King James Version
Howl, ye inhabitants of Maktesh, for all the merchant people are cut down; all they that bear silver are cut off.
Complete Jewish Bible
Wail, you who live down in the hollow, because all the merchants are destroyed, all who trade with silver are ruined.
Berean Standard Bible
Wail, O dwellers of the Hollow, for all your merchants will be silenced; all who weigh out silver will be cut off.
American Standard Version
Wail, ye inhabitants of Maktesh; for all the people of Canaan are undone; all they that were laden with silver are cut off.
World English Bible Messianic
Wail, you inhabitants of Maktesh, for all the people of Canaan are undone! All those who were loaded with silver are cut off.
Geneva Bible (1599)
Howle ye inhabitants of the lowe place: for the companie of the marchants is destroyed: all they that beare siluer, are cut off.
Young's Literal Translation
Howl, ye inhabitants of the hollow place, For cut off hath been all the merchant people, Cut off have been all bearing silver.
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Commentary on Zephaniah 1 verses 7–13
7 ¶ Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord GOD: for the day of the LORD is at hand: for the LORD hath prepared a sacrifice, he hath bid his guests.
8 And it shall come to pass in the day of the LORD'S sacrifice, that I will punish the princes, and the king's children, and all such as are clothed with strange apparel.
9 In the same day also will I punish all those that leap on the threshold, which fill their masters' houses with violence and deceit.
10 And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD, that there shall be the noise of a cry from the fish gate, and an howling from the second, and a great crashing from the hills.
11 Howl, ye inhabitants of Maktesh, for all the merchant people are cut down; all they that bear silver are cut off.
12 And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees: that say in their heart, The LORD will not do good, neither will he do evil.
13 Therefore their goods shall become a booty, and their houses a desolation: they shall also build houses, but not inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, but not drink the wine thereof.
Notice is here given to Judah and Jerusalem that God is coming forth against them, and will be with them shortly; his presence, as a just avenger, his day, the day of his judgment and his wrath, are not far off, Zep 1:7. Those that improve not the presence of God with them as a Father, but sin away that presence, may expect his presence with them as a Judge, to call them to an account for the contempt put upon his grace. The day of the Lord will come. Men have their day now, when they take a liberty to do what they please; but God's day is at hand; it is here called his sacrifice, a sacrifice of his preparing, for the punishing of presumptuous sinners is a sacrifice to the justice of God, some reparation to his injured honour. Those that brought their offerings to other gods were themselves justly made victims to the true God. On a day of sacrifice great slaughter was made; so shall there be in Jerusalem; men shall be killed up as fast as lambs for the altar, with as little regret, with as much pleasure: The slain of the Lord shall be many. On a day of sacrifice great feasts were made upon the sacrifices; so the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem shall be feasted upon by their enemies the Chaldeans; these are the guests God has prepared and invited to come and glut themselves - their revenge with slaughter and their covetousness with plunder. Now observe,
I. Who those are that are marked to be sacrificed, that shall be visited and punished in this day of reckoning, and what it is they shall be called to an account for. 1. The royal family, because of the dignity of their place, shall be first reckoned with for their pride, and vanity, and affectation (Zep 1:8): I will punish the princes, and the king's children, who think themselves accountable to God, and that, high as they are, he is above them. They shall be punished, and all such as, like them, are clothed with strange apparel, such as, in contempt of their own country (where, probably, it was the custom to go in a very plain dress, as became the seed of Jacob that plain man), affected to appear in the fashion of other nations and introduced their modes in apparel, studying to resemble those from whom God had appointed them, even in their clothes, industriously to distinguish themselves. The princes and the king's children scorned to wear any home-made stuffs, though God had provided them fine linen and silks (Eze 16:10), but they must send abroad to strange countries for their clothes, which would not please unless they were far-fetched and dear-bought; and even those of inferior rank affected to imitate the princes and the king's children. Pride in apparel is displeasing to God, and a symptom of the degeneracy of a people. 2. The noblemen, and their stewards and servants, come next to be reckoned with (Zep 1:9): In the same day will I punish those that leap on the threshold, a phrase, no doubt, well understood then, and which probably signified the invading of their neighbour's rights. Entering their houses by force and violence, and seizing their possessions, they leap on the threshold, as much as to say that the house is their own and they will keep their hold of it; and, accordingly, they make all in it their own that they can lay their hands on, and so fill their masters' houses with goods gotten by violence and deceit and with all the guilt thereby contracted. Nor shall it suffice them to say that the ill-gotten gains were not for themselves but for their masters, and that what they did was by their order; for the obligations we lie under to keep God's commandments are prior and superior to the obligations we lie under to serve the interests of any master on earth. 3. The trading people, and the rich merchants, are next called to account. Iniquity is found in their end of the town, among the inhabitants of Maktesh, a low part of Jerusalem, deep like a mortar (for so the word signifies); the goldsmiths lived there (Neh 3:32) and the merchants; and they are now cut down (they are broken, and have shut up their shops, and become bankrupts); nay, All those that bear silver are cut off, in the first place, by the invaders, for the sake of the silver they carry, which is so far from being a protection to them that it will expose and betray them. The conquerors aimed at the wealthy men, and carried them off first, while the poor of the land escaped. Or it may be meant of a general decay of trade, which was a preface and introduction to the general destruction of the land. It is the token of a declining state when great dealers are cut down, and great bankers are cut off and become bankrupts, who cannot fall alone, but with themselves ruin many. 4. All the secure and careless people, the sons of pleasure, that live a loose idle life, are next reckoned with (Zep 1:12); they come from all parts of the country, to take up their quarters in the head-quarters of the kingdom, where they take private lodgings, and indulge themselves in ease and luxury; but God will find them out, and punish them: At that time I will search Jerusalem with candles, to discover them, that they may be brought out to condign punishment. This intimates that they conceal themselves, as being either ashamed of the sin or afraid of the punishment of it; when the judgments of God are abroad they hope to escape by absconding and getting out of the way, but God will search Jerusalem, as search is made for a malefactor in disguise, that is harboured by his accomplices. God's hand will find out all his enemies, wherever they lie hid, and will punish not only the secret idolaters, but the secret epicures and profane; and those are the persons that are here described, and marks are given by which they will be discovered when strict search is made for them. (1.) Their dispositions are sensual: They are settled on their lees, intoxicated with their pleasures, strengthening themselves in their wealth and wickedness; they are secure and easy, and, because they have had no changes, they fear none, as Moab, Jer 48:11. They have not been emptied from vessel to vessel. They fill themselves with wine and strong drink, and banish all thought, saying, Tomorrow shall be as this day, Isa 56:12. Their being settled on their lees signifies the same with being enclosed in their own fat, Psa 17:10. (2.) Their notions are atheistical. They could not live such loose lives but that they say in their heart, The Lord will not do good, neither will he do evil; that is, He will do nothing. They deny his providential government of the world: "What good and evil there is in the world comes by the wheel of fortune, and not by the disposal of a wise and supreme director." They deny his moral government, and his dispensing rewards and punishments: "The Lord will not do good to those that serve him, nor do evil to those that rebel against him; and therefore there is nothing got by religion, nor lost by sin." This was the effect of their sensuality; if they were not drowned in sense, they could not be thus senseless, nor could they be so stupid if they had not stupefied themselves with the love of pleasure. It was also the cause of their sensuality; men would not make a god of their belly if they had not at first become so vain, so vile, in their imaginations, as to think the God that made them altogether such a one as themselves. But God will punish them; their end is destruction, Phi 3:19.
II. What the destruction will be with which God will punish these sinners, and what course he will take with them. 1. He will silence them (Zep 1:7): Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord. He will force them to hold their peace, will strike them dumb with horror and amazement. They shall be speechless. All the excuses of their sin, and exceptions against the sentence, will be overruled, and they shall not have a word to say for themselves. 2. He will sacrifice them, for it is the day of the Lord's sacrifice (Zep 1:8); he will give them into the hands of their enemies, and glorify himself thereby. 3. He will fill both city and country with lamentation (Zep 1:10): In that day there shall be a noise of a cry from the fish-gate, so called because near either to the fish-ponds or to the fish-market. It belonged to the city of David (Ch2 33:14; Neh 3:3); perhaps the same with that which is called the first gate (Zac 14:10), and, if so, it will explain what follows here, And a howling from the second, that is, the second gate, which was next to that fish-gate. The alarm shall go round the walls of Jerusalem from gate to gate; and there shall be a great crashing from the hills, a mighty noise from the mountains round about Jerusalem, from the acclamations of the victorious invaders, or from the lamentations of the timorous invaded, or from both. The inhabitants of the city, even of the closest safest part of the city, shall howl (Zep 1:11), so clamorous shall the grief be. 4. They shall be stripped of all they have; it shall be a prey to the enemy (Zep 1:13): Their household goods, and shop-goods, shall become a booty, and a rich booty they shall be; their houses shall be levelled with the ground and be a desolation; those of them that have built new houses shall not inherit them, but the invaders shall get and keep possession of them. And the vineyards they have planted they shall not drink the wine of, but, instead of having it for the relief of their friends that faint among them, they shall part with it for the animating of their foes that fight against them, Deu 28:30.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 7–13. Public domain.
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JeromeAD 420
Commentary on Zephaniah
(Verse 11.) Ululate, inhabitants of the ball: all the people of Canaan are silent. LXX: Mourn, you who inhabit the broken one: for all the people of Canaan are compared. The ball which is called Machtes in Hebrew, and is reversed by Aquila, εἰς τὸν ὅλμον, must be read with a long syllable first, not a short one, so that we do not think of a sphere, but of an elongated one, so that we know it is said about the ball in which grains are pounded, a concave vessel, suitable for the use of physicians, in which ptisanae are usually prepared. Someone may say that they understand what 'pila' means, but they want to know why it is mentioned in the present context. Because once there was a description of a captured city, and it is said: 'The voice of shouting comes from the Gate of Fish, and the howl from the Second, and great destruction from the hills.' Now the same order of description is maintained, and it is said about the howling of those who live in the Valley of Siloe. And Scripture beautifully did not say those who live in the valley, those who live in the gorge, but those who live in the pila, because indeed just as grains are crushed by a beam striking from above, so an army will rush out from the Gate of Fish, and the Second Gate, and the hills against you. But the people of Canaan he called the people of Judah, according to what we read in Daniel: The seed of Canaan and not of Judah (Dan. XIII, 56); and to Jerusalem: Your father was an Amorite, and your mother a Hittite (Ezek. XVI, 3); and in another place: Canaan is in your hand, the scale of iniquity (Hosea XII, 7). And if we want to weave a moral interpretation according to both translations, those who dwell in the deepest depths of sin are rightly stirred to howling and lamentation, and those immersed in the lowest depths of their crimes say: I am stuck in the mud of the deep, and there is no substance, they say (Ps. LXVIII, 2). And it is added: you who dwell in the shattered, that is, a soul wounded by many iniquities, or the Church, which is torn by schisms and heresies, and laments over each wound and mourns the children who have been killed. But what it says: 'The whole population of Canaan has become silent, or rather their blasphemy has ceased on the day of judgment' signifies that their mouths, which they have raised up to the skies, and their tongues, which reach down to the earth, will be silenced for eternity. And because Jerusalem has sinned, and therefore has been thrown into turmoil, the people are called Canaan, which means 'commotion'. For it cannot be said: 'He has set my feet upon a rock' (Psalm 39:3), but instead he is uncertain and always in motion. Therefore, even the holy man Noah, after he awoke from his sleep, placed a curse on Canaan, saying: 'Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be to his brothers' (Genesis 9:25). Not only are sinners likened to Canaan, but according to the quality and diversity of sin, one is likened to Pharaoh, another to the giant Nimrod. And conversely, through good works and virtues, since the paths of virtues are different, one person takes on the spirit of Abraham, another of Moses, another of Elijah; therefore, it is said by the Apostle: Be zealous for better gifts (1 Corinthians 12:31). But whoever is perfect, according to that perfection which human condition can attain, is marked by the likeness of God.
They all perished, wrapped in silver. LXX: They all perished, those who trusted in wealth. They said to themselves, 'We have such great riches that we consider ourselves wrapped up and protected by them.' Or at least according to the LXX, those who were lifted up in pride and despised the poor were destroyed by anger. Consider also that it does not say 'those who trusted in wealth will perish,' but rather, even now, before the day of punishment comes to them, in their very pride and constant thoughts of their treasures, they have already perished and fallen. But whoever understands this, I think he does not desire riches enough, in which they will not perish, but have perished who have been proud. Nor indeed should it be estimated that only those who have been proud of silver have perished, but according to this definition, he who boasts in the nobility of his race will also perish. He who boasts in dignities will perish; he who is inflated will perish; he who boasts in the strength of his body will perish. He who is softened by the weakness of women, nourishes his hair, plucks his hairs, polishes his skin, and gazes at himself in the mirror, which is properly the passion and madness of women, will perish. But if anyone wants to be exalted and boast with holy pride, let them be exalted with the apostles, when they are worthy to suffer insult for the name of Jesus Christ, let them boast with the Apostle, who rejoiced in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces patience, and patience produces hope, and hope does not disappoint (Rom. 5).
Richard ChallonerAD 1781
The Morter: Maktesh. A valley in or near Jerusalem
The people of Chanaan: So he calls the Jews, from their following the wicked ways of the Chanaanites.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Zephaniah 1:11 delivers a stark prophetic lament, calling upon the inhabitants of Maktesh, Jerusalem's bustling commercial district, to wail in anguish. This cry of despair is a direct response to the impending divine judgment that will utterly dismantle the city's economic foundations, cutting down all merchants and those who have amassed wealth, signifying the complete collapse of their material security and the futility of trusting in earthly riches.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Zephaniah 1:11 employs several powerful literary devices to convey its message of impending doom. The most prominent is Apostrophe, a direct address to the "inhabitants of Maktesh," which creates a sense of urgency and immediacy, drawing the audience directly into the prophetic scene of lamentation. Metonymy is evident in the use of "Maktesh" itself, which, while a specific geographical location, stands in for the entire commercial enterprise and the people associated with it. Similarly, "merchant people" and "they that bear silver" function as Synecdoche, representing the entire economic elite and the system of wealth accumulation. The verse also utilizes Parallelism, specifically synonymous parallelism, in the phrases "all the merchant people are cut down" and "all they that bear silver are cut off." This repetition with slight variation emphasizes the totality and comprehensive nature of the economic destruction, reinforcing the message that no aspect of Jerusalem's commercial life will escape judgment. Finally, the imperative "Howl" functions as a form of Hyperbole or Intensification, demanding an extreme emotional response that underscores the overwhelming and devastating impact of the divine reckoning.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Zephaniah 1:11 powerfully articulates the biblical principle that divine judgment extends to all forms of human idolatry, including the worship of wealth and the pursuit of dishonest gain. It reveals God's sovereign justice, demonstrating that He will hold accountable those who place their trust in fleeting material possessions rather than in Him. The verse serves as a stark reminder that earthly prosperity, when detached from righteous living and used to oppress or to replace God, is ultimately fragile and destined for collapse. It foreshadows a day when all human systems built on greed and injustice will crumble, revealing the true and lasting value of spiritual obedience and faithfulness. This judgment is not merely punitive but also redemptive, aiming to purify a people who have strayed far from God's covenant.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Zephaniah 1:11 offers a timeless and piercing challenge to contemporary believers. In a world often driven by economic success and material accumulation, this verse serves as a potent reminder of the transient nature of earthly wealth and the ultimate futility of placing our security or identity in financial prosperity. It calls us to examine our own hearts: do we truly trust in God for our provision and security, or do we subtly, or overtly, rely on our bank accounts, investments, or career achievements? The "howling" of Maktesh's inhabitants should provoke us to consider the spiritual dangers of greed, dishonest practices, and the idolatry of money. True spiritual prosperity and lasting peace are found not in what we possess, but in our relationship with God and our obedience to His commands. This verse urges us to cultivate a kingdom-first mindset, prioritizing eternal values over temporal gains, and to use our resources justly and generously for God's glory and the good of others, rather than hoarding them or pursuing them at all costs.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What was the significance of "Maktesh" in ancient Jerusalem?
Answer: "Maktesh" (Hebrew: מַכְתֵּשׁ, Maktêsh') literally means "mortar" or "grinding bowl." In the context of Zephaniah 1:11, it refers to a specific low-lying commercial district or valley within Jerusalem. This area was likely a bustling market where goods were traded and perhaps even processed or "ground" (like in a mortar). Its name, therefore, is highly symbolic, as the prophet declares that this very center of commerce, where wealth was accumulated, would itself be "ground down" or "crushed" by divine judgment, signifying the utter destruction of its economic activity and the despair of its inhabitants.
Why does Zephaniah specifically target "merchant people" and "they that bear silver"?
Answer: Zephaniah's prophecy often highlights the pervasive corruption and idolatry within Judah and Jerusalem. By specifically targeting "merchant people" (often associated with the Canaanites, known for their trade, and by extension, dishonest practices) and "they that bear silver," the prophet underscores that God's judgment would extend to the economic sphere. This indicates that the accumulation of wealth, particularly through unjust means, and the idolatrous reliance on material possessions had become a significant sin in Jerusalem. The judgment serves as a divine reckoning against greed, materialism, and the social injustices that often accompanied such economic pursuits, demonstrating that no aspect of society is immune from God's righteous wrath when it deviates from His standards.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Zephaniah 1:11, with its dire pronouncement of judgment on the commercial heart of Jerusalem and those who trust in silver, finds profound Christ-centered fulfillment in several ways. While the immediate context speaks to a historical judgment on Judah's idolatry of wealth, it foreshadows the ultimate futility of all earthly systems and possessions in the face of God's final reckoning. Jesus Himself repeatedly warned against the dangers of materialism, urging His followers not to "store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal," but rather to "store up for yourselves treasures in heaven" (Matthew 6:19-20). The "cutting down" and "cutting off" of the merchant class in Zephaniah prefigures the spiritual bankruptcy of those who reject God for the sake of worldly gain, a theme powerfully illustrated in the parable of the rich fool whose soul was demanded of him the very night he planned to expand his earthly storehouses (Luke 12:16-21). Ultimately, the judgment on Maktesh points to Christ as the one who alone offers true and lasting riches—not silver or gold, but eternal life and an imperishable inheritance (1 Peter 1:3-4). His sacrifice on the cross "cut off" the power of sin and death, making a way for humanity to be reconciled to God, offering a spiritual wealth that transcends any earthly market or treasure, ensuring that those who "bear" the name of Christ will never be cut off from eternal life (John 10:28).